Daily Republican., 1887-02-08
\ uoxvlcrs sonAxos.

a remarkable story ID told In the
New York Tribune Of . convict In the
Ohio penitentiary, who has served
nineteen years OF . life sentence In SOL
itary confinement. In 1866 Q party of
cracksmen descended upon the Brown
County treasury In Georgetown, near
Cincinnati. The work Of "blowing"
the safe was interrupted by Adam
Rose, the janitor, who. not content
with spelling the job, wished TO cover
himself with glory by arresting the
four thieves single handed. Naturally
enough Rose was left dead by the safe
and his murderers fed. Public indig-
nation famed and the four were caught
-Huling, Benton, Jones and Carroll.
At New Richmond Carroll escaped |
from Deputy Peter Mccormick, and |
every effort was made TO capture him.
A year later he was reported living at
Freeport. III. The officers who went
for him found +. w. Smith, prosper
Gus foundryman, suspected OF being
Billy Carroll, and would not believe
| 1t, for Billy Carroll was noted % pro-
fessional cracksman and Smith as
good citizen. But TO convince his &C
cusers of his innocence, Smith went 10
Brown County of his own accord and
| invited trial. To his surprise jury
found him guilty of murder Ia the
second degree, aud his sentence was
for lie. The other men received vari
GUS sentences, and all have either
served their time or been pardoned.
Even Huling, who was sentenced to
be hanged, served eight years after his
sentence had been commuted, and was
pardoned.
Smith was snatched from a pros
porous business and loving wife of a
year to begin 9 living death, He
has been confined tor nineteen years,
longer than all the others served to-
gether. He Is known not as Smith,
but as Billy Carroll, and he is the
only prisoner who has lived more than
fifteen years In solitary confinement
without going out OF his cell once In
that time.
The story OF his life, as he tells. has
almost convinced several Governors OF
his innocence. and at the present Ad
. ministratisn has had his pardon undel
consideration. He would have beer
pardoned years ago, except for thu
! fact that, in 1870, he killed fellow
convict who had attacked him in thu
foundry. For this Carroll was con
:, victed of manslaughter and sentenced
II to 10 years imprisonment This tern
: he has served out. That man serv
. ing life sentence could be sentence,
- to 10 years additional seems peculiar
yet the Court considered II matter %
: form necessary 10 be followed.
70 Carroll, or Smith, as he calls h i'm
D, self, was born in New York AZ year
% ago. His parents are still living an
" are wealthy. His brother Is promi
ct nent official on a western railroad
Edward was born mechanic, an
>, before he was II he went West full
ID equipped as q machinist to manage a
D.; establishment. He enlisted In III
70 First Missouri Cavalry and say
s. General Lyon killed at Wilson Creel
He was, during the Missouri can
a paign, under General J. G. Black, no.
i'd Commissioner OF Pensions, and he rt
n lates many an incident of their q
u quaintance. He was transferred
y the gunboat service and was capture
:. u Vicksburg. He was in Libby an
~ Columbia, but was exchanged. One
ITe when sent to Cincinnati for arm
ne Smith was present when Governt
~ Foraker, then mere boy. enlisted.
- The war ended, Smith settled
X Freeport, ILL.,, as q foundryman. /
" had some money which he had !
N, herited and increased. During Il
10 war he had fallen In love with
- daughter of Major Armstrong
lie Chicago. The father objected to Z
III proposed alliance and the result "
w. w. an elopement. Two years later I
Il husband was torn away by the la
,c. and the wife stood by him mob
700 Afler paying the expenses of the trl
on Smiths property was worth $2,O
NJ when his sentence here began. L
- wife sold all and sent him the mon'
NY He sent it back, asking her TO keep
NV NV for herself as he would never need
Il She taught music in Chicago, resist
NV the wish of her father that she shot
Get. be divorced and marry physici
God who had wooed her as Smiths uns'
u cessful rival. Borne down upon
ST. father, lover and friends, she consent
and 10 . divorce when she heard of
y AM husbands crime in prison. UE
. this, too, came the Chicago fire
Els 1871, and burned her home VIII
.ror Smiths money had procured. Z
= The courts gave the wife dive
~ because her husband was con
In and he had no chance to meet
suit.
Oh In the midst Of his prison sorl
III Smith was told of his wife's MARI
- - to another, and he has seldom m
IN an toned her name since. But he
1t been regarded as dangerous prisol
. reason for keeping him in solil
confinement He has been constal
IN busy, and his cell, which is ne,
gold over that from which the rebel, j
lent, Morgan, escaped, has heen enlar
n,ess into workshop. He has taken
%, several valuable patents while
- prison, and has refused $15, 900
,, ~ one, while others are of acknowled
clear value. His steam trap is especi
s2., valuable. He devised the steam-t
I me- ing apparatus used in the prison.
:, .. is an expert in jewelry and q
y 70 work. He hopes to be released
.een then expects to become rich from
SON inventions. His claim for pardo
1@ his innocence, and there il Sci
UNa doubt of his guilt. He claims to
store, been in Buffalo when the Rose mu
, ap was committed. Moreover, Nc
~ mick. the guard from which Ca
i \ Nov tnI, a,,I han .